“People in this community have a right to be safe,” Cherry said. “For 10 years I lived in the city of Harrisburg. I don’t know that I’d have the courage to do that again.”

In recent months, a rash of robberies and other street crime in the city has prompted authorities to step up police patrols and even temporarily close a street where gun battles had become commonplace.

The attempted robbery of Solobay, a Washington County Democrat, isn’t linked to the latest violence.

A county jury convicted Hand of robbery and conspiracy charges in June. He was accused of being among four teenagers who accosted Solobay, who was then a state representative, around 11:15 p.m. on Sept. 29, 2010 as the legislator parked his car at Green and Kelker streets.

Cherry called Solobay, who didn’t attend Hand’s sentencing hearing, a brave man, but didn’t advise others to emulate his reaction to the robbers.

“He’s lucky he’s not dead,” Cherry said.

“I told him the same thing,” Senior Assistant District Attorney Johnny Baer agreed.

Baer sought a 3-to-7-year jail term for Hand on the robbery charge alone to send a message to the “roving marauders” who are plaguing the city. “It’s guys like this who are ruining our community,” he said. “People are leaving (the city) because of guys like this.”

Hand, who was 16 during the attack on Solobay, was one of two teens charged in the hold-up. The other, Thomas Evans II, was acquitted of robbery and conspiracy charges by a county jury last September.

For Cherry, sentencing Hand was something of a generational experience. The judge noted that when he was district attorney he sent Hand’s father to state prison on robbery convictions.

Several factors moved the judge to show some mercy to Hand, however. Among them was the fact that four months ago Hand intervened to save a staffer who was being assaulted by three other teens at an Alternative Rehabilitation Communities facility where he was living.

Cherry also was sympathetic when Hand’s mother, Antoinette, tearfully sought leniency for her son.

“This is totally not Sharief,” she said of his criminal act. “He got in with the wrong crowd.”

Cherry told Hand, a 10th grade drop-out, to follow the advice and example of his mother, not his father.

Hand told the judge that he accepts full responsibility for the robbery, but insisted he has matured since participating in the crime. “If Mr. Solobay was here I’d apologize to him,” he said.

When Cherry asked why he came to the aid of the Alternative Rehabilitation Communities staffer who was being attacked, Hand replied, “He was just helpless. I had to help him.”

“Most of the punks and thugs that I deal with...wouldn’t do that,” Cherry said. “That does show at least part of (Hand’s) change of heart.”

He said that and the fact that Hand had to grow up without a positive father figure prompted him to “temper” Hand’s punishment. Cherry levied the prison term for the robbery conviction, but imposed a consecutive 2 years of probation rather than more jail time on the conspiracy count.

“This is your opportunity to change your life,” he said before sheriff’s deputies led Hand away.

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